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May 11th, 2017

  What’s hot? A new Heineken commercial.  Well worth 4:25 min of your time! http://www.globetoday.com/this-controversial-beer-ad-is-going-viral-and-itll-leave-you-questioning-everything/ So what? This video is an extraordinary lesson for leaders:  Build bridges rather than walls to engage and inspire. What to do? Express curiosity rather than disagreement when you hear a view that differs from your own. Dignify the other […]

May 9th, 2017

  What’s hot? Mindful meditation results in better focus when you are anxious.* So What? Nearly half your stream of consciousness is spent in mind wandering!  When anxious, repetitive off-task thoughts can negatively impact your ability to focus, learn, complete tasks or even to function effectively as a leader. What to do… Reconnect with the […]

November 2nd, 2016

Part 5: Tap into the power of difficult conversations Creating connection is one of a leader’s most important jobs from a neuroscience perspective. Once people feel safe – a sensation that is registered in the reptilian brain – they also feel cared for.  This activates their brains to unleash the full potential of the higher-functioning […]

October 26th, 2016

Three HUGE Difficulties and Dangers of E-Mail as a Communication Tool I don’t denounce e-mail and texting as powerful communication tools.  My primary concern is that both are like a firehouse that we have to drink from. Since e-mail and text messages are so ubiquitous, leaders need to be aware of three major perils: E-mail […]

October 19th, 2016

Get Up Close and Personal Early in my career, one of my sage managers gave me advice that has served me well to this day.  “Don’t let your ego write checks that will bounce.” It is a natural inclination to prove yourself right or strike back when faced with anger, doubt, resistance, or reluctance.  Leaders […]

October 12th, 2016

Following the path of least resistance is what makes men and rivers crooked.       –Nowlan’s Deduction When you honor people with honesty – you avoid the path of least resistance. One of the most profound ways to connect is to be able communicate a message that is not consistent with what the other thinks, believes or […]

October 6th, 2016

The words ‘information’ and ‘communication’ although used interchangeably mean quite different things. Information is dishing out – it is about you, your opinions, your point of view, your knowledge, your circumstances.  Communication is connecting – helping others meet their needs, understanding their concerns, adding value to their world.  That is because as a social species […]

September 22nd, 2016

(Part IV of the Mindful Dialog Series) At Take Charge we embrace, promote and teach others to engage in Mindful Dialog based on our beliefs about the human condition.  At the end of the day, we all want to feel acknowledged.  As Abraham Maslow pointed out oh so many eons ago – we all want […]

September 15th, 2016

(Part III: of the Mindful Dialog Series) When you master Mindful Dialog you not only hack into the brain chemistry of the other, you affect changes in your own brain.  When you achieve the level of mindfulness that results in Mindful dialog, you cause: Increased electrical brain activity – namely increased Alpha and Beta EEG […]

September 7th, 2016

(Part II of the Mindful Dialog Series) Mindful Dialog is a learned behavior.  It is developed the same way we develop the ability to play chess, speak a different language or develop a workflow diagram.  Sustained practice, may not make us perfect, but it does build expertise and enables execution.  When you engage in Mindful […]

September 1st, 2016

(Part 1 of the Mindful Dialog Series) Did you know that the way you communicate with team members and colleagues can release powerful hormones that can either diminish or improve their performance? In a recent HBR blog*, Judith and Richard Glaser reported about the impact of conversations on brain chemistry.  When your emotions detract from […]

August 18th, 2016

A blog series on mindful agility Do you have systems and practices in place that inspire people to easily and quickly generate new solutions, products, services and ways of doing things? Our research has uncovered five organizational capacities that prime individuals and groups to experiment with the emergent future in ways that lead to the […]

July 29th, 2016

A blog series on mindful agility Have you ever lost it?  Yelled?  Cried?  Took flight?  Wrote a nasty e-mail?  Seethed instead of slept at the end of a wickedly-rough day at work?  I have.  It is not a confession I am proud of. If you are like me and like most, you don’t want to […]

July 7th, 2016

A blog series on mindful agility 9/11, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, ISIS goes international and attacks targets in the West, Hurricane Sandy demolishes Mid-Atlantic shore communities, a lone gunman opens fire at a Florida nightclub killing 49, and most recently, Brexit (at a time when pundits were predicting the likelihood of the UK staying in […]

June 23rd, 2016

Leaders who enjoy longevity and people who live long, long, healthy lives have a characteristic in common: they are in a constant state of transformation. Portia Nelson captured the journey to personal change beautifully in her “Autobiography in Five Short Chapters.” 1.  I walk down the street.      There is a deep hole in the […]

June 16th, 2016

This is a continuation of a series of leadership and lifestyle habits that result in a long, long, healthy life and long, healthy career.  Your career longevity – and your life span – are both dependent upon the choices you make.  Every single one matters – especially since 75% of people over 50 expect to […]

June 9th, 2016

This four-part series is based on a book I just read, that teaches how to form life affirming and life extending habits in just 21 days.  Anti-Aging Habits. Today’s post is a chapter right out of the book (with the author’s permission) about how to move beyond cosmic constipation to leadership success.  Want more that […]

June 2nd, 2016

This four-part series is based on a book I just read.  Although the book, Anti-Aging Habits, 137 Smart and sassy ways to add years to your life and life to your years is about longevity; it occurred to me that leaders could up their game, and extend the length and impact of their careers if […]